Double acting winch



Aug. 6, 1935. G. THIMAN 2,010,280

DOUBLE ACTING WINCH Filed Oct. 11, 1934 2 Sheets-Sheet l 12 (SEW Aug. 6, 1935. THIMAN 2,010,280

DOUBLE ACTING WINCH Filed 001;. 11, 1934 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Aug. 6, 1935 UNITED STATES 9 Claims.

The present invention relates to double acting winches particularly adapted for ships and having two rope drums and a common driving motor.

The invention has for its object to obtain a winch of the said type having a simple and reliable construction of such a character as to be capable of being operated by one man, which, without lengthy previous practice, by simple maneuvering grips is able to hoist a load out of the hold of the ship, to convey it over the deck and to lower it onto a quay or into a lighter or the like lying at the side of the ship.

A further object of the invention is to obviate the risks, which occur in known winches due to awkward operation of existing brake means for the rope drums or to unintended slip in the brake means, which occur particularly in winter time as a consequence of icing over of the winches, whereby ice pieces may come in between the brake bands and the appertaining drums, so tha all friction eifect ceases.

The invention consists essentially in this that the two rope drums are" arranged to be driven by the common motor independent of each other either in the same direction for hoisting or lowering the load or simultaneously in opposite directions for hoisting with the one drum and lowering with the other or so that the one drum is driven, while the other stands still.

In the annexed drawings two forms of embodiment of a double acting winch according to the invention are shown. Fig. 1 shows diagrammatically the application of the invention and of a known winch arrangement on board of a ship. Fig. 2 is a top view of a double acting winch according to the invention, and Fig. 3. is a side view thereof. Fig. 4 is a horizontal view partly in section and on an enlarged scale of a gearing and clutch mechanism belonging to the winch. Figs. 5 and 5a-show a detail of a disc clutch. Fig. 6 is a top view of a double acting winch according to a somewhat modified form of embodiment.

Fig. 1 shows a ship unloading onto a quay I and into a lighter 2. The load 3 is taken up through the hatch openings 1 by means of the winches 4 and 5 and the loading beams 6--A and 6B, respectively.

At the fore-part of the ship (the right part of the figure) there are installed four winches 4 of the ordinary type comprising each one rope drum and one driving motor. The available space permits only two winches 4 of being placed side by side. The loading and the unloading take place in the ordinary way, the one loading PATENT OFFICE DOUBLE ACTING WINCH Gunnar Thlman, Stockholm, Sweden, asaignor to Aktiebolaget Alcus', Stockholm, Sweden Application October 11, 1934, Serial No. 147,934

, In Sweden October 25, 1933 to lower it onto the quay. An intimate coopera-' tion must thus take place between the two winch men, so that the work will be done quickly and the goods will not be damaged, for instance by being struck against the edge of the hatch opening or against the side of the ship.

In the left part of the drawings in the afterbody of the ship there is shown an installation of double acting winches 5 according to the invention, two double acting winches being placed side by side at the fore hatch opening I, by means of each of which two loading beams 6-A and OB can be served. .The said beams are placed in such manner that the ropes run from the same to each of the drums of the winch. By means of the said two winches and the corresponding loading beams loading and unloading through one and the same hatch opening can take place simultaneously onto the quay I and into the lighter 2. The two winches are each operated by one man, the one of which can alone bring about' loading or unloading at the quay and the other one alone loading or unloading in the lighter.

The construction of a double acting winch according to the invention is shown in Figs. 2 to 5.

The two rope drums I, about which the ropes 0 running to the respective loading beams and loading hooks are placed, are secured to each one of two coaxial shafts 35 and 36, respectively, which are mounted at their inner ends in a common bearing H located between the drums and at their outer parts in separate housings 31 and 38 containing worm gearings- Ill. Secured to the free ends of the said shafts 35 and 38 are warping yards II. The bearing II and the housings 31 and 38 are placed on a common bed plate 39, on which also an electric motor 24 common to the two ropedrums and appertaining gearings and clutch mechanism for transmitting power to the worm gearings and the rope drums are placed.

The said mechanisms are located in separate housings It at each side of the motor and are mutually identical. For such reason but one of them will be described below.

Firmly secured to the motor shaft by means of a coupling 25 is a shaft 40 passing through the housings I3 and mounted at its ends in ball bearings 4i and 42, Fig. 4. Placed on the shaft 40 are two disc clutches 20 and 2 l, the inner disc holder 3| of which is firmly secured to the shaft. The appertaining discs 2. are connected to the holder II by means of keys 43 and are axially displaceable on the holder. The outer discs 21 are similarly by means of keys 44 connected to an outer sleeve 45 (and 46, respectively), which is mounted on the shaft 40 by means of two ball bearings 41 and 48 and thrusts against the inside of the end wall of the housing I! by means of a thrust ball bearing 4!. The innermost one of the outer disc 2I lies adjacent to a flange 50 of the inner disc holder 3I, and close to the outermost one of the inner discs 28 lies a press plate 5I, which is axially displaceable in the outer sleeve 45 (46) and may be acted on by a sleeve 52 displaceable on the shaft 40. The said sleeve 52 is in turn acted on by an arm 53 secured to a shaft 26, to which is secured an operating lever 22 (and 23, respectively), Figs. 2 and 3.

Firmly secured to each one of the outer clutch sleeves 45 and 46 is a bevel gear wheel I! and I8, respectively, which constantly mesh with a common bevel gear wheel I9, the shaft 54 of which is mounted in a conical roller bearing 55 and a ball bearing 56 in a partition 51 of the housing I3 and is coaxial with the worm shaft 58, Fig. 2.

In a compartment I4 located at the other side of the said partition 51 there is arranged a gear ing and coupling device, by means of which either a direct drive or a transmission ratio of 1:2 between the shafts 54 and 58 can be obtained.

To the end of the shaft 54 located in the said compartment I4 there is secured a spur wheel 59 meshing with a spur wheel 60, to the shaft SI of which is fastened a further spur wheel 62, which according to the showing in Fig. 2 meshes with a spur wheel I5, displaceably but not rotatably mounted on the worm shaft 58. Formed at the hub end of the wheel I5 turned towards the shaft 54 is a coupling member 63, which, when the gear wheel I5 is displaced out of engagement with the gear wheel 62, is brought into direct engagement with a corresponding coupling member 64 at the end of the shaft 54 causing a direct drive between the shafts 54 and 5B. The displacement of the gear wheel takes place by the aid of a maneuvering lever I6. The housing I3 shown at the right hand side of Fig. 2 contains exactly the same parts as described above with reference to the left housing I3. At the right side the two operating levers I6 and 23 only are shown.

In order to remove frictional heat from the clutches 20 and 2I means are provided for cooling the clutch discs with oil. The gear housing I3 is filled with oil about up to the centre line of the shaft 40, the oil being sucked due to centrifugal force into the clutches through channels 33 at the end walls of the housing, through the ball bearings 59, 48 and 47, through channels 32 in the flange 50 and through channels 29 made in the discs, Figs. 5 and 5a. The oil escapes through holes 34 in the outer clutch sleeves 45 and 46 and returns to the interior of the housing. The cooling of the oil is obtained by heat conducting through the outer walls of the gear housing.

When the winch is to be used, the electric motor is started by means of a simple starting resistance, placed for instance in the engine room of the ship and operated by the machinist, the motor being permitted to run at a constant speed during the whole time, when loading or unloading is going on. Expensive controllers may thus be dispensed with, resulting in saving of the installation costs.

By making it possible to use a motor running at a constant number of revolutions the less expensive, more reliable and robust three-phase alternating current motors may be made use of, whereby further savings of the costs can be made. On account of the varying speeds of the winches hitherto used direct current must be used, resulting in more expensive motors and in risks of disturbances in the power transmission.

Since due to the rigid couplings 25 the motor is all the time connected to the shafts 40 of the gear housings I3, the said shafts will thus continuously rotate, when the motor rotates. However, if the levers 22, 23 be not operated, no movement will be transmitted to the rope drums 8, because of the friction clutches 20 and 2! being disengaged.

Instead of an electric motor a steam engine or an internal combustion motor or any other power generating engine may be used for driving the winches.

After the levers I6 have been adjusted in order to obtain the desired transmission ratio, the operating of the winch takes place solely by pulling or pushing the one or both of the operating levers 22 and 23.

If for instance the lever 22 of the left gear housing I3 be pushed, the left disc clutch 20 will be actuated and the left rope drum 8 is brought by means of the bevel wheels Il, I9, the gearing 59, 5B, 62, I5 and the left worm gear II! to rotate in a certain direction, for instance for lowermg.

If the lever 22 be pulled, the right disc clutch 2i will instead be actuated and the bevel wheel I8 be active, so that the common bevel wheel I9 will be .rotated in the opposite direction, causing a reversing of the direction of rotation of the rope drum 8.

If the lever 22 be released all friction in the disc clutches 20, 2i will automatically cease and the whole machinery except of the shafts 4!) is brought to still stand, the load hanging on the rope 9 due to the self arresting action of the Worm gear Ill.

The right rope drum 8 is operated in the same manner by means of the lever 23.

If both levers 22 and 23 be pushed, both rope drums 8 will rotate in the same direction. If the one lever be released, the corresponding rope drum will be stopped, while the other rope drum, the operating lever of which is still pushed, will keep on rotating. If both levers be pulled, the load will for instance be hoisted by both drums. When the load is brought up above the deck lowering is effected by the one drum and hoisting 4 with the other, resulting in the load being moved sideways over the deck. If then both levers be pushed lowering is effected by both drums, and the load is'moved downwards onto the quay or into a lighter or the like. The two drums run when in action at the same peripherical speed. By the above described means the operation of the winch will be very simple and may without any risk be intrusted to a man having no considerable previous practice. By using self arresting worm gears risks of accidents due to falling loads are avoided. Also incorrect operations are almost excluded, since the simple operating movements, i. e. pulling the levers, when the load is to be hoisted, pushing the levers, when the load is to be lowered, and releasing the levers, when the movement is to be stopped, can easily be held in mind. If during lowering or hoisting any risk of accident should be feared, both levers are simply released. The arrange ment also forms a socalled dead m'ans grip.

The modification shown in Fig. 6 differs from that one described above in this respect only that the two rope drums 8 with the appertaining gearing and clutch mechanism I 0, I3 and the motor 25 are placed on separate bed plates 55, B6, and 67, respectively, by means of which the positions of the rope drums may be easier accommodated according to varying distances between the loading beams. The bed plate 61 or the motor may be placed on suitable projections of the bed plates 65 and 66 of the rope drums and secured thereto by means of screw bolts 68.

Due to the fact that in a winch according to the present invention all movable parts are enclosed in housings filled with oil, the winch will be wholly independent of peculiarities of climate and no risks of loose parts coming in into the gearings and the clutches are at hand.

What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States of America is:

1. A double acting winch comprising two rope drums, a single non-reversible driving motor common to said drums, separate reversible motion transmitting means including a braking mechanism between the motor and each of the drums and operative for driving the drums independent of each other in the same direction or in opposite directions or for driving the one drum only in either direction, while the other stands still, and one operating member for each of said reversible motion transmitting means, said members being arranged to be operated by one man.

2. A double acting winch comprising two rope drums, a single non-reversible driving motor common to said drums, separate reversible motion transmitting means including a self braking mechanism between the motor and each of the drums and operative for driving the drums independent of each other in the same direction or in opposite directions or for driving the one drum only in either direction, while the other stands still, and one operating member for each of said reversible motion transmitting means, said members being arranged to be operated by one man.

3. A double acting winch comprising two rope drums, a single non-reversible driving motor common to said drums, separate reversible motion transmitting means including a self arresting worm gear between the motor and each of the drums and operative for driving the drums independent of each other in the same direction or in opposite directions or for driving the one drum only in either direction, while the other stands still, and one operating member for each of said reversible motion transmitting means, said members being arranged to be operated by one man.

4. A double acting winch comprising two rope.

drums, a single non-reversible driving motor common to said drums, separate reversible motion transmitting means including a self braking mechanism and a self releasing coupling between the motor and each of the drums and operative Ior driving the drums independent of each other in the same direction or in opposite directions or for driving the one drum only in either direction, while the other stands still, and one operating member for each of said reversible motion transmitting means, said members being arranged to be operated by one man.

5. A double acting winch comprising two rope drums, a single non-reversible driving motor common to said drums, separate reversible motion transmitting means including a self braking mechanism between the motor and each of the drums, each of said means comprising two bevel wheels in operative connection with the motor, a third bevel wheel in constant mesh with said first mentioned bevel wheels and in operative connection with the corresponding rope drum, a releasable coupling between each of said first mentioned bevel wheels and the motor, and one operating member for each pair of said releasable couplings, said members being arranged to be operated by one man.

6. A double acting winch comprising two rope drums, a single non-reversible driving motor common to said drums, separate reversible motion transmitting means including a self braking mechanism between the motor and each of the drums, each of said means comprising two bevel wheels in operative connection with the motor, a third bevel wheel in constant mesh with said first mentioned bevel wheels and in operative connection withthe corresponding rope drum, a self releasable coupling between each of said first mentioned bevel wheels and the motor, and one operating member for each pair of said releasable couplings, said members being arranged to be operated by one man.

7. A double acting winch comprising two rope drums, a single non-reversible driving motor common to said drums, separate reversible motion transmitting means including a braking mechanism between the motor and each of the drums and operative for driving the drums independent of each other in the same direction or in opposite directions or for driving the one drum only in either direction, while the other stands still, and one operating member for each of said reversible motion transmitting means, said members being arranged to be operated by one man and said motion transmitting means and said operating members being operative to effect hoisting when the said members are simultaneously moved in one direction and lowering when simultaneously moved in the opposite direction, while a simultaneous moving of the said members in opposite directions will cause hoisting with the one drum and lowering with the other.

8. A double acting winch comprising two rope drums, a single non-reversible driving motor common to said drums, separate reversible motion transmitting means including a self-braking mechanism, and a variable speed gear between the motor and each of the drums and operative for driving the drums independent of each other in the same direction or in opposite directions or for driving the one drum only in either direction, while the other stands still,

and one operating member for each of said reversible motion transmitting means, said members being arranged to be operated by one man.

9. A double actingwinch comprising two rope drums, a single non-reversible driving motor common to said drums, separate reversible motion transmitting means including a self braking mechanism, a self releasing coupling and a said members being arranged to be operated by one man.

GUNNAR 

